Emile Smith Rowe signs new long-term Arsenal contract to put a stop on Aston Villa’s transfer pursuit
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Updated 22/07/2021 at 14:06 GMT
Emile Smith Rowe has committed his long-term future to Arsenal amid interest from Aston Villa, who reportedly made two bids for the midfielder and were weighing up another offer. Smith Rowe will also wear the No 10 shirt for the new season, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta “looking forward to helping him develop further and seeing him become even more important".
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe with manager (L) Mikel Arteta and (R) Director of Football Edu at Emirates Stadium on July 22, 2021 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
Emile Smith Rowe has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, putting an end to Aston Villa’s pursuit of the midfielder this summer.
Smith Rowe is a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, and he has gone on to make 33 appearances for the senior team across all competitions.
Villa had reportedly made two bids for the player, but Arsenal rejected the £25m and £30m offers as they see the 20-year-old as a long-term asset.
Smith Rowe will wear the No 10 shirt for the 2021/22 season, and was praised by manager Mikel Arteta for his “exceptional vision” after signing the new deal.
Mikel Arteta said: “As we all saw last season, Emile is an intelligent player with excellent ability. His sharpness on the turn and exceptional vision have already made him a key player for us. His attitude and willingness to learn have also been very impressive.
Huge credit to our team in our academy who have given Emile a great education and have worked superbly to help with his development through the age groups.
“Along with the first team staff, huge credit also goes to our senior players, who have played such an important role to help Emile develop, gain confidence and perform the way he did last season.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe at Emirates Stadium on July 22, 2021 in London, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
“I know the fans will join us in being delighted that Emile has committed his future to the club. We’re now looking forward to helping him develop further and seeing him become even more important to the strong young team we’re building.”
Technical Director Edu added: “This is another important step forward for us and we’re all delighted that Emile has signed a new long-term contract. It’s great to see another young player develop through our academy system to become a key part of our first team.
“Emile is a player who represents the future of the club and this is why we have given him the number 10 shirt. We have trust in Emile and we know he has the potential to be a beautiful player for many years to come.”
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